KVM for Beginners — Kernel-based Virtual Machine: An Introduction — Part 1

There is no question that many are looking at virtualization alternatives in 2024 and beyond, with the major shakeups happening across the industry. With the recent Broadcom changes, many organizations are looking at alternative hypervisors to VMware vSphere. Many hypervisors based on Kernel Virtual Machine (KVM) provide great platforms for running business-critical virtual machines and containers. Let’s look at options for KVM solutions in the enterprise.

What is Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM)
First of all, let’s explore what the KVM hypervisor is exactly. Kernel Virtual Machine is a Linux-based technology found in the Linux kernel that allows it to function as a hypervisor to run virtualization infrastructure.

This feature was introduced in the Linux kernel in 2007 and found in most Linux distros, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux and many enterprise virtualization setups. Using KVM, you can run multiple virtual machines with guest operating systems using hardware virtualization.

The KVM host kernel module in the Linux kernel mainline is called kvm.ko and works with hardware virtualization extensions built into modern processors like Intel VT-x or AMD AMD-V as a virtualization solution. It allows KVM to have the performance needed by using the processor’s features directly.

QEMU is a standard userspace tool that can be used as a machine emulator and virtualization manager to manage virtual hardware and networking.

Read this blog to know more…